U.S. Pat. No. 7,750,817 discloses systems and methods for monitoring the dispensing of a beverage from a dispensing apparatus into a container using a scale and other devices. Methods may perform the following steps: measuring a scale time for the container on a scale, measuring an end weight for the container on the scale, and determining that a dispense event has occurred for the beverage based on whether a tilt condition of a dispensing apparatus occurred substantially within the scale time and based on whether the end weight of the beverage dispensed into the container approximates a serving based on point-of-sale information. In some embodiments the tilt condition is measured by a sensor device that does not contact the beverage being dispensed. Further embodiments may use pour time and the weight of the dispensing apparatus. The determined dispense event may determine the brand of the beverage dispensed.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0220480 discloses an automated beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage and ice into a cup. The automated beverage dispenser includes an ice dispending station with an ice auger and a weight sensor, a beverage dispensing station, and a control device. The control device instructs the ice auger to fill the cup with a predetermined amount of ice and instructs the beverage dispensing station to fill the cup with a predetermined amount of beverage in response to a weight of the cup as determined by the weight sensor.